Tunes Played at Piobaireachd Society of Central Pennsylvania Meetings The Battle of Auldearn (Setting #1) • Karen Helm (March 4, 2006) • Scot Walker (March 4, 2006) – Urlar Beloved Scotland • Adam Green (June 18, 2006) • Karen Helm (November 3, 2007) – Urlar The Cave of Gold • Thompson McConnell (November 3, 2007) Chisholm’s Salute • Scot Walker (March 4, 2006) – Urlar Clan Campbell’s Gathering • Dan Emery (December 2, 2006) • Karen Helm (November 3, 2007) • Karen Helm (December 1, 2007) • Karen Helm (February 23, 2008) The Clan MacNab’s Salute • David Bailiff (December 1, 2007) Colin MacRae of Invereenat’s Lament • Ken Campbell (January 21, 2006) – Urlar & Variations I & II • Marty McKeon (November 3, 2007) The Company’s Lament • Patrick Regan (December 2, 2006) Cronan Corrievrechan (The Corrievchan Lullaby) • Karen Helm (December 1, 2007) The Desperate Battle • Thompson McConnell (March 4, 2006) • Scot Walker (March 4, 2006) – Urlar • Thompson McConnell (November 4, 2006) • John Bottomley (January 19, 2008) Glengarry’s Lament • Thomas Thomson (November 5, 2005) • Thomas Thomson (January 21, 2006) – Urlar • Thomas Thomson (April 1, 2006) – Urlar • Thomas Thomson (June 18, 2006) – Urlar • Marty McKeon (November 4, 2006) Glengarry’s March (Cill Chriosd) • Thompson McConnell (February 23, 2008) Hector MacLean’s Warning • Scot Walker (March 4, 2006) • Karen Helm (April 1, 2006) His Father’s Lament for Donald MacKenzie • Thompson McConnell (January 21, 2006) Isabel MacKay • Jim Diener (January 19, 2008) – Urlar The King’s Taxes • Donald Lindsay (February 23, 2008) Lament for Alasdair Dearg MacDonnel of Glengarry • David Laughlin (April 1, 2006) • Wade Reeser (April 1, 2006) • Andrew McGowan (February 23, 2008) Lament for the Children • John Bottomley (January 19, 2008) Lament for Donald Duaghal MacKay • Thompson McConnell (April 1, 2006) Lament for Donald of Laggan • Marty McKeon (December 1, 2007) – Urlar • Marty McKeon (February 23, 2008) Lament for the Viscount of Dundee • David Bailiff (January 21, 2006) MacDougall’s Gathering • Karen Helm (January 21, 2006) – Urlar & Variations I & II • Karen Helm (April 1, 2006) MacFarlane’s Gathering • Beth Bandy (January 19, 2008) The MacGregor’s Salute Mackintosh’s Banner • Thompson McConnell (November 5, 2005) Mackintosh’s Lament • Thompson McConnell (December 2, 2006) The Marquis of Argyll’s Salute • Thompson McConnell (June 18, 2006) The Massacre of Glencoe • Joshua Dye (January 21, 2006) – Urlar • Joshua Dye (November 4, 2006) • Thompson McConnell (November 3, 2007) - Urlar The Munro’s Salute • Karen Helm (December 2, 2006) • Thompson McConnell (December 1, 2007) The Old Woman’s Lullaby • Karen Helm (January 19, 2008) The Pretty Dirk • Adam Schaller (June 18, 2006) – Urlar Struan Robertson’s Lament • Andrew Chalfoun (November 3, 2007) • Andrew Chalfoun (December 1, 2007) Too Long in this Condition • Wade Reeser (November 5, 2005) Tulloch Ard (The MacKenzie’s Gathering or March) • Dave McCrabb (January 19, 2008) Tune Histories *Sources of the Tune Histories vary for each tune, however, a majority of the tunes histories provided here are taken from “Binneas is Boreraig – The Complete Collection” edited by Roderick Ross. The Battle of Auldearn Setting No. 1 appears in the Campbell Canntaireachd without a name. A different setting, No. 2, is the version played by Alexander Cameron, J. MacDougall Gillies, and other pipers of their time. The Battle of Auldearn in 1645 which was fought at Auldearn, near Nairn, was won by Montrose against superior numbers fighting the Covenanters’ cause. It was a typically well planned and executed action by Montrose with huge losses among the Covenanters who were commanded by Sir John Hurry. Alasdair MacDonald was heavily involved on the Montrose’s side while the Campbells of Lawers were with the Covenanters. Beloved Scotland Little is known about the origin of this tune. According to Fionn (Henry Whyte) it is said to have been the favorite march of sir Donald MacDonald of Sleat when marching to the Battle of Sherrifmuir. This chief was known as “Domhnull a’chogaidh”, Donald of the Wars, from the part he took at Killiecrankie and other engagements. He died in 1718. Chisholm’s Salute “Chisholm’s Salute” is supposed to have been composed in 1836 to mark his election as Member of Parliament for the County of Inverness, according to the Rev. Robert MacGregor, Kilmuir, Skye, who wrote as follows in 1838 – “the bearer (Kenneth Stewart, from the Isle of Skye) can play several new piobarachs and also the Shisalach for the Chisholm composed on the occasion of his being elected…in 1838. This was a 2006 Silver Medal Tune. The Cave of Gold This tune has found a resurgence since Murray Henderson recorded it on his World’s Greatest Pipers Volume. Jimmy McIntosh, MBE, reviewed the tune in the Summer 2006 edition of The Voice Magazine (Publication of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association). This tune is attributed to Donald Mor MacCrimmon, circa 1610. Uamh an Oir (Cave of Gold) - An ancient Hebridean legend tells of a famous piper who goes into a cave to find out why it claims so many lives. From deep within, his pipe music echoes out, telling those listening that a green fairy-demon is attacking him. This surreal song imitates the pipes and begins “It’s a pity I didn’t have three hands, two for the pipes and one for the sword.” The chorus repeats his promise to return. Clan Campbell’s Gathering Nothing is known of this great gathering tune. The Clan MacNab’s Salute According to General Thomason this tune was composed by Donald MacDonald who called it Salute to J.W. Grant, Esq., (of Elchies in Strathspey) but it is now referred to as MacNab’s Salute or Clan MacNab’s Salute. It is in Donald MacDonald’s manuscript and in Angus MacKay’s book. Colin MacRae of Invereenat’s Lament This tune is another version of the short tune, “Duncan MacRae of Kintail”. Jimmy McIntosh provided this tune in the Summer 1999 issue of the Voice, EUSPBA’s quarterly magazine. It is taken from the William Ross Collection, first published in 1869. Jimmy took the history of the tune from Alex Haddow’s book, “The History and Structure of Ceol Mor”, published in 1982: “There can be little doubt that this tune (Duncan MacRae of Kintail) is dedicated to the memory of the ninth Macrae chief, Duncan of the Silver Cups, of the Inverinate family. He was a man of many attainments, and a renowned poet. His poems in a strangely tolerant way are Jacobite and Episcopalian. This keen, liberally minded, religious man, was also an engineer and a mechanician of some note. The great grandson of Duncan of the Silver Cups was Farquar who narrowly escaped after Culloden and was the last of the family to hold Inverinate. Colin Macrae was Farquar’s youngest son born in 1776. He became a merchant and planter in Demerara and married the daughter of the Dutch governor there. He eventually returned to Edinburgh where he died in 1854. As the piobaireachd first appears in Angus Mackay’s manuscript, it cannot originally have been a lament for Colin Macrae and must have been composed much earlier – almost certainly in honor of Duncan of the Silver Cups.” The Company’s Lament Little is known about the origins of this tune which is said to have been composed to mark the untimely death of a young piper serving in India at the time of his death. Another source suggests that this tune may have been composed by Joseph MacDonald who wrote the Treatise ‘A Compleat Theory of the Scots Highland Bagpipe’ circa 1770/3. This was at a time prior to the dissolution of the great MacCrimmon school of piping at Boreraig. The tune [untitled] is one of two ‘marches’ [spaisdearach in Gaelic] included in his Treatise. The tune is meant to be played ‘while walking about’ and not as a ‘march’ as we know it today. It was probably written before he went to India to join the East India Company. His inspiration for the tune is unknown. Cronan Corrievrechan (The Corrievrechan Lullaby) This tune was written by Donald MacLeod and appears in Donald MacLeod’s Collection of Piobaireachd Book I. Traditionally, this whirlpool sings “Pos mi’s posadh mi thee” (“Marry me, and I will marry you”). It was believed that if one entered its clutches, there was no escape. There is an old Gaelic song of the same title. The Desperate Battle This tune is in Angus and in John MacKay’s manuscripts. Both refer to it as to do with birds fighting. In Fionn’s notes in David Glen’s Ancient Piobaireachd, he gives it as an Angus MacKay of Gairloch composition describing a fight between domestic fowls. This tune certainly fits this role, but it could also be related to a well-known song (18th century) of the same name describing birds attacking an evil woman. General Thomason reckoned it commemorated the Battle of the North Inch of Perth in 1396. Glengarry’s Lament This was composed by Archibald Munro on the lamented death of his master, 1828, and it was the last tribute he paid to him, when he played it preceding the funeral procession. Mr. MacDonell of Glengary was on his way to Edinburgh, on board the Stirling steam boat, accompanied by his two daughters. The boat was sailing tolerably well, till she came abreast of Drumarabin, a farm of the Duke of Gordon's, the blast out of which glen became too powerful, and drove her on the Ardgower shore at Inverscaddel. The landing was extremely dangerous, as the passengers had to be dragged ashore by means of ropes. Glengary was much hurt in the face and head on the rocks, as he was brought to shore.